Issue 7

VOL. XXXVIII ISSUE 7 April 20, 2018

Peninsula students exemplify the different pillars of PRIDE SPECIAL EDITION PAGES 6-9

Nothing Down About It

Center Stage

Run With It

Speakers visit to discuss living with Down Syndrome

Spring musical highlights important issues

Senior overcomes leg injury to complete local marathon

NEWS PAGE 2

OPINION PAGE 5

SPORTS PAGE 10

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news Guest John Tucker performs during lunch for Peninsula students. Tucker visited peninsula on March 29 to celebrate Disabilities Awareness Week.

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born this way

Cast from A&E’s Born This Way come to speak for Disabilities Awareness Week aiden lieb, ana willoughby & jordan chang During a special Disabilities Awareness Week presentation on March 29, stars of Born This Way, a reality television show following the lives of seven individuals living with Down Syndrome, came to talk on campus. The presentation was conducted in a question and answer style, allowing for students and staff to address the speakers with their specific questions. John Tucker and Peninsula alumna Elena Ashmore used their personal experiences of living with Down Syndrome to teach the students about acceptance. Ashmore talks to schools in hopes of leading more students to understand and support others regardless of differences. During the presentation, she offered advice to those who feel criticized by their peers.

“Follow your dreams, never give up [and] support and respect family, friends and others,” Ashmore said.

“Stay positive, do not judge others and accept who you really are.”

Ashmore and Tucker spoke about their time on the show, claiming that their public speaking ability improved due to that experience. Advanced Placement English Literature and English 3 Honors teacher Bruce Colin commended Ashmore, his previous student, on this improvement.

Ashmore also feels that she learned to become more independent and to focus on achieving her goals; she urged the students to recognize that same feeling in lindsay thomas

their own lives. Sophomore Shingo Saito attended the presentation and gained new insight into what it is like to live with a disability.

“The talk made me admire the people who have

“Keep your head up. If it is your dream, do not give up. It might be hard, but if you really want it, stay focused.”

-John Tucker challenges in life that they were born with,” Saito said.

“It also inspired me to overcome any obstacles in the way of achieving my goals.”

Having always told his family that he wanted to be on television, Tucker feels that one of his biggest dreams came true after starring on Born This Way. He encouraged Peninsula students to also work towards achieving their goals, reminding them to overcome

challenges through concentration and diligence.

“Keep your head up,” Tucker said. “If it is your dream, do not give up. It might be hard, but if you really want it, stay focused.”

Tucker’s love for the spotlight is shown not only through his speeches, but also through his musical performances. With Ashmore and sophomore Brandon Whitehurst as backup dancers, Tucker performed at lunch following his presentation. He expressed himself through his music by rapping some of his original songs such as “Wherever I Go” and “Shake Your Booty” on the amphitheater stage.

Tucker enjoys speaking at schools like Peninsula because he believes that young adults are more understanding of people with Down Syndrome than other age groups. Ashmore also appreciated speaking to the student body for reasons in addition to Tucker’s.

She enjoyed sharing her stories with students, leading them to understand the situations of those with disabilities and to embrace those who are different.

“I felt very happy and glad to see what my old school looks like now that Best Buddies is so active,” Ashmore said. “The whole school is supportive in inclusion.”

With their visit, Ashmore and Tucker aimed to bring awareness to people with disabilities and inspire teenagers to strive to accomplish their dreams. The pair hopes that many of the students walked away from the presentation with a new and more accepting point of view and will spread this message to their peers.

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students walk out to end gun violence mati yang

OLIN OSBORNE III

laura jankowski

max hampel

Exactly one month after the shooting of 17 students and faculty in Parkland, Florida, hundreds of students walked out to advocate for increased school safety and to honor the 17 who were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The March 14 walkout came as part of a national movement advocating for laws to keep firearms off the streets.

“I walked out because gun violence is becoming something terrible,” senior Sam Mizrahi-Powell said.

“You hear about it every day in the news. It is happening in churches, in schools, in movie theaters, in clubs and in concerts. The first step to stopping gun violence is to advocate for smart, safe and common-sense gun regulation increases.”

At Peninsula, the walkout was scheduled for 10 a.m. and a rally was held for 17 minutes, one minute for each life lost in the shooting, and students walked out onto the school’s football field. Mizrahi-Powell gave the first of three speeches focusing on the change needed to increase students’ safety in classrooms.

“We the people of Peninsula High stand for safe

academic decathalon makes it to state

resources that any of the charter schools have access to,” Voegtlin said. “It was a groundswell movement that took place this year amongst the team to come together and overcome those obstacles. With the same work ethic, we will return to State next year.”

Senior Alexa Jones was on this year’s official team at the scholastic level and has been a member of Academic Decathlon for all four years of high school.

She expressed how moving it was for her to watch her team progress each year before attending the state competition.

“I was not expecting to get to State this year because our progress had been so steady in years past,” Jones said. “I assumed that our competition season would end at Regionals. The experience was fantastic, though. I was astounded that we bonded and made such close friendships. I loved hanging out with the team in our hotel rooms and walking up to receive my medal.”

Academic Decathlon functions through an alternating self and group study program, which puts responsibility on all members, especially the captains. Senior Chelsea Liu is one of three team captains, and she works to keep everyone on track. “[The competition] was really fun,” Liu said. “We practiced our speeches and crammed together before testing. We cover seven academic subjects and compete in several subjective events so we really have to plan and manage our time well during meetings.”

The team came home with a total of four gold, one silver and six bronze medals. “[Competing] broadened my view of the world and taught me time-management skills,” Liu said. “Most importantly though, it taught me how important teamwork is. We would not have made it this far without constantly pushing and supporting each other.”

minji jeun From March 22-25, Peninsula’s Academic Decathlon team competed at the United States Academic Decathlon (USAD) state competition for the first time in seven years. The process of improving until this point was comprised of many efforts exerted over a number of years. After struggling with low funding, the Academic Decathlon program was cut in 2011 but later reinstated in 2014. Under the guidance of English 1, English 1 Honors and English Language Development teacher Anne-Marie Voegtlin, the team bettered their performance each consecutive year until they finally won a ticket, or bid, to the state competition.

Voegtlin started the 2017-18 season expecting a place at State. Despite placing 10th in Division II, which would typically grant a bid, Peninsula was not part of the list of teams that received a bid at the LA Regional Awards Banquet. A week later, it was announced that an error had been made and that several teams had not been notified of their bid, including Peninsula.

“This year, the team made it to state because they believed in themselves,” Voegtlin said. “They tackled [the competition] with positivity, they supported each other and they were determined. When we walked out of the awards banquet at Regionals, everybody was a little bit surprised that we had not gotten a wild card bid. [Finding] out the next week was a huge surprise which I think doubled the kids’ determination to not just go to state, but to make their presence known.”

According to Voegtlin, the preparation for state competition was not easy. Since there are other schools that can afford to purchase extra study materials, there are many teams that arrive with an advantage.

“In the past, we have not had the funds to access the

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classrooms,” Mizrahi-Powell said. “Because we the people of Peninsula High dream to go to class without fear, without apprehension that the next Nicolas Cruz is out there, about to commit the next Parkland, the next Sandy Hook or the next Columbine.”

The second speaker, junior Amira Belhedi, informed the crowd of the importance of voting and of listening to other points of view, responding to the tensions that had arisen earlier that week between students who supported the walkout and those who did not.

“At first, I was somewhat surprised to see that other Peninsula students disagreed with the walkout,” junior Sarah Espiritu said. “But it made me realize that seeing other people’s viewpoints drives the conversation and allows us to all come to a solution together.”

Afterward, sophomore Jacquelyn Engler gave the final speech on how gun violence had personally impacted her life through the loss of her cousin who was killed in the Las Vegas shooting on Oct. 1.

“What makes us so different?” Engler said. “Every morning we say goodbye to our parents, our sisters, our brothers and wonder if it will be the last time we will ever see them. We should feel safe at school.”

WASC visit kristen lu The Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC), a regional association that verifies schools’ abilities to provide adequate educational environments, visited Peninsula in mid-March to renew its accreditation. During the week of March 12, a visiting team comprised of seven individuals, including various stakeholders in education, visited Peninsula for three days to survey the campus and observe teachers and students to see how closely Peninsula’s performance that week matched the information in a self-report.

Following the committee’s submission of the report, the ACS WASC will determine how many years of accreditation Peninsula will receive.

Advanced Placement English Literature and English 2 Honors teacher Rebecka Dibble helped organize the ACS WASC visit.

“Overall, they were extremely impressed with what they saw in the culture of the campus, the leadership the students show, as well as the programs [Peninsula provides],” Dibble said. “They think that we have a really world-class school here.”

However, Dibble also had a few concerns regarding the visitors’ reviews, especially with the walkout happening the same week.

“I was worried when I found out there was going to be a walkout on the last day of WASC,” Dibble said.

“However, it was done in a very smooth, respectful and participatory way. The only other thing I was a little bit worried about [was] that maybe they would end up seeing a student [or teacher] on a bad day and would allow that to cloud their perception of the school as a whole. Fortunately, there was so much positive that if there was anything negative they encountered, it was easily supplanted.”

Associate Principal Katie Clovis reported that the committee was impressed by Peninsula.

“I think the visiting committee’s response was overwhelmingly positive because [they] had the opportunity to experience Peninsula’s community,” Clovis said.

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opinion

THE PEN PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL 27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Zoe Willoughby Stella Yoo MANAGING EDITOR Phoebe Borsum DESIGN EDITOR Connor Tumelty NEWS EDITORS: Jordan Chang Ana Willoughby WRITERS: Talon Casey Minji Jeun Kristen Lu Olin Osborne III Shenaya Yazdani OPINION EDITOR: Nina Li WRITERS: Joshua Kim JungIn Kim Gigi Wargin

data in danger privacy concerns arise Editorial staff In light of Facebook’s data mishandlings recently being exposed, people across the world are realizing how easily their information can be unwarrantedly shared. Facebook has come under fire for selling the information not only of specific users who knowingly used the app “This is Your Digital Life”, but also of their friends and the friends of their friends, with the current estimate at about 87 million affected users. Despite this scandal resulting in Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifying before Congress, there does not seem to be a significant amount of concern younger social media users have regarding this issue. For

FOCUS EDITORS: Liana Korotzer Anne Lee WRITERS: Nicole Khalil Saffy Laurio Ailun Shi Fiona Yang

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were shared gave consent.

We place a blind trust in social media and seemingly use it to our advantage. It allows us to show those we are connected with who we are, where we go, how we look and what we care about. But having the opportunity to display these things about ourselves also means that these companies like Facebook know our names, our locations, our faces and our interests.

Given the recent scandal, we need to realize that the information we put into the online world is not private, and we must act accordingly by being cognizant of what we post. This issue does not just stop at our Facebook accounts. Since Facebook owns other social media platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp, the company is a greater part of our lives than we presume, especially given the popularity of such platforms.

Even though this unsolicited data sharing did not affect every Facebook or social media user, anyone who uses social media should still consider this a pressing issue.

Without proper rules and regulations to set a precedent regarding data breaches, technology companies and other agencies will continue to take advantage of their users, compromising user privacy for profit. For now, telling others to stay away from social media sounds impractical, so the most we can do is stay vigilant in keeping our privacy as truly private we can and understanding that what we post online is not only limited to those we allow to follow us.

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Cover by Jenna Yamada Josh Kahen

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“The Pen” is the student newspaper produced by the advanced journalism students of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. It is published eight times per year. Advertising inquiries may be directed to Advertising Manager Sung Gyung Lee at (310) 377- 4888 ext. 652. The Pen editors appreciate Letters to the Editor, which are accepted up to one week before publication. You may submit them to H52 or to Jaymee Johnson’s mailbox.

Copyright © 2018

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ADVISER Jaymee Johnson

ad

BUSINESS & ADVERTISING Sung Gyung Lee Elana Ho

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GRAPHICS Rachel Liu Jenna Yamada Alex Yoo

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SPORTS EDITORS: Rianne Aguas Christopher Chien WRITERS: Christopher Guanzing Aiden Lieb Sarah Liu Erin Okada Asumi Shuda

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STUDENT LIFE EDITORS: Alison Kim Emily McGinn WRITERS: Diego Cardona Zeke Dee Sam Herrmann Elissa Luce Christine Youn

example, USAToday reported that only eight percent of users say they will stop using Facebook altogether due to the scandal. The #DeleteFacebook movement has not garnered much attention either, with only 62,000 mentions at its peak, according to security software company McAfee.

With nearly 46.2 million Facebook users under the age of 24, according to Statista, this lack of criticism from the younger generation is concerning, as a neglect to address the severity of our information being shared now can snowball later and give other technology companies the idea that our private information need not be highly guarded. Although we do not believe there should be an absolute boycott of Facebook and all of the other social media companies it owns, there should be more of an awareness of how protected our information is when we post it online.

The information that Facebook collected from the 87 million consenting and nonconsenting users was given to the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, and it is unclear how exactly they used that information. Despite claiming that they deleted the information at Facebook’s request, there have been concerns that this data was still used to target advertisements at specific people, especially regarding the 2016 election. The problem lies not in the fact that the collected data was intended to help certain groups target advertisements toward specific Facebook users, but in the idea that not all users whose information

Pvpusd CREATES a BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE Josh Kim On Feb. 18, the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD) administrative board approved the creation of a Budget Advisory Committee (BAC), a financial branch of the district that will plan out the budgetary aspects of future projects and investments.

The BAC will present revenue related recommendations to the administrative board which will take them into consideration before making any final decisions. This will give the community a chance to directly influence the district’s budget and prevent unnecessary spending measures that administrators may approve. Ultimately, the BAC is a beneficial idea, where people can weigh in on financial decisions which will maintain a balance of power between the community and the administrative board.

“Without having a balanced budget, the district will run out of reserve funds at some point in the near future,” PVPUSD Associate Superintendent Keith Butler said. “If a district is unable to meet its fiscal obligations, then the state of California takes progressively stronger steps to oversee district operations. Responsibly

approaching the budget allows the district to continue to run operations for the benefit for all stakeholders.”

The BAC will be comprised of residents chosen through an appointment process. In previous years, the budget was planned by the PVPUSD administrative board members.

“If a district is unable to meet its fiscal obligations, then the State of California takes progressively stronger steps to oversee district operations.”

-PVPUSD associate superintendent Keith butler However, starting in July, the BAC will hold meetings to begin preparations for the 201819 school year budget. If the BAC produces significant advantages for the district, the group may be approved to oversee additional elements such as the employment of a school resource officer and school programs such as pep rallies.

“Hopefully, if the BAC proves its usefulness to the district, then they could begin to have a bigger impact regarding actual choices that are laid down by the district and not just the costs of the choices after the fact,” junior Jeehoon Kim said.

It is only a matter of time before the BAC will prove its usefulness to the community. According to PVPUSD, about $2.8 million needs to be cut by the 2019-20 school year in order to balance the District General Fund Budget. This budget is made up of restricted and unrestricted funds and is the typically the largest fund within the district. The BAC’s job will include managing and maintaining this budget for upcoming school years. To prevent overspending, the committee will serve as an appropriate means to regulate the transactions made by the administrative board. Simply put, the implementation of the BAC will give control back to the community regarding the fiscal ongoings that concern the school district.

“I think that the formation of this committee will be very valuable to the community,” senior Nicholas Chang said. “It will give this neighborhood sizable control of the district’s budget. At the end of it all, this committee could only bring good to the students and teachers.”

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Rachel liu / The Pen Connor Tumelty / The Pen

“Heathers” brings up serious issues in high school GIGI WARGIN Teen suicide, murder and bullying were just a few of the issues covered in “Heathers: The Musical”, the spring musical performed by the Peninsula Drama Department from March 9-18. In the musical, which is based on the 1988 film by the same name, introvert Veronica Sawyer finds herself a spot in the popular clique of “the Heathers” and a mysterious, new boyfriend named J.D. However, what originally starts as an attempt to fit in eventually escalates to a string of murders and suicides. With such a heavy focus on these serious topics, especially in light of the recent Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, some audience members may have left feeling surprised or offended.

However, with a mature approach and guidance at the hand of director and drama teacher Seth Cohen, the students who participated in the production of “Heathers” allowed for the contemplation and reflection of these serious issues. Shows and other art forms that discuss sensitive topics such as those in “Heathers” mean not to glorify such issues but are instead platforms for discussion and spreading awareness. “[‘Heathers’] was an eye-opener,” senior Nicole Hay said. “It was not what I expected. [Peninsula does not] have mass suicides happening right now, but it

could happen in the future if we do not start [to raise awareness].”

Most members of the audience who voiced their opinions about the show only had affirmations and compliments to share, despite the intensity of the show’s plot and characters.

“We are playing [high schoolers and being ourselves], which is something you rarely get to do with theater,” senior and actress of Veronica Sawyer, Isabella Navarro, said. “We got a hate comment, but more or less, all of these parents [defended the show]. I have not heard of any negative student reactions, but it is a heavy show with topics that need to be talked about.”

While “Heathers” does introduce grim topics through humor and sarcasm, Cohen explained that no audience member, to his knowledge, expressed offense, and he felt the cast members understood the gravity of what they were presenting.

“I do not think that ‘Heathers’ glorifies the issues of bullying and school violence,” Cohen said. “It definitely caricatures some of it because it is a dark comedy and it makes [those topics] more palatable for an audience.”

The Director’s Note in the program was stocked with mindful disclaimers about the show.

“I am compelled to open these notes with an apology,” Cohen said in the note. “But I am not sorry

because this is an incredibly important story that needs to be told. If this show makes you uncomfortable, try to figure [out] exactly what make you uncomfortable.”

The area outside of the Performing Arts Center was decorated with anonymous quotes from the cast members about the stresses and concerns in their lives, and there was a respectful warning at the beginning of the performance. Both acted as reminders of the sensitivities within the show.

“No negative feedback came from what was said,” Cohen said. “There was definitely some concern about depicting a more honest look at teenagers’ lives and, after Feb. 14, about the depiction of violence on a school [campus, but] administration was incredibly supportive. The only negative feedback that got to me was through NextDoor. There were people questioning why we were doing this show, but most of the commenters on there were people who had never seen the movie [or] the show.”

Art, even that which discusses serious, sensitive topics, should be presented to the public; most art cultivates discussion and provides a starting point for finding a solution. The show forced the audience to recognize that bullying, suicide and violence still exist at a high school level today and that there needs to be more awareness in order to counter these issues.

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special edition

PASSION R ESILIENCY I NNOVATION D EDICATION EMPOWERMENT Photo courtesy of abby robinson

maansi murty

matthew hashimoto

megan jung

Jennifer terada

joanne lee

kaitlyn tang

Photos courtesy of Gina v an boxtel

Photos courtesy of nathan an

Various Peninsula students demonstrate their interpretations of the principles outlined in the new Schoolwide Learner Outcomes.

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rotesters march to end gun violence

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sophomore Abby Robinson, a friend of Bengston, states that Bengston plans to continue her role as representative.

“This was not just a one-time thing,” Robinson said. “She is planning to further this [by] bringing more interactive speakers to our school. She wants to get our school as a whole involved.”

Bengston will continue participating in various walks and protests whenever she can, including ones unrelated to gun violence, such as the recent Women’s March, which is another matter she is very passionate about.

“Protests like the march are non-violent,” Bengston said. “They are positive and trying to enact change in the world. I do not think harm comes from participating in them. I think [protesting and voicing our thoughts] is something that will better our world.”

ecovering athlete continues to train

elissa luce

[her injury],” teammate Brett Mastick said. “She, in my opinion, has handled this type of situation better than I have ever seen.”

Despite having her injury, Murty has competed in the world championships six times, twice after becoming injured.

“Having my injury has taught me that even with the things that I can not do anymore, [I am] grateful for the things that I can still do,” Murty said.

Although her injuries have become a physical setback for Murty, she has remained mentally strong while training for Jiu-Jitsu.

According to Murty, she is able to maintain a positive mindset due to her love for the sport.

“There have been a lot of times where it was a challenge to get back up, but every time I do, it is always worth it,” Murty said. “I could not imagine ever sacrificing anything to not be doing this. I have enjoyed every minute of every fight.” r ac

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Senior Maansi Murty started taking classes in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and Jiu-Jitsu when she was six years old. Her mother first enrolled her in these sports to help her learn how to defend herself.

Since starting Jiu-Jitsu, training and participating in tournaments, Murty has sustained minor injuries.

However, last February, her injuries became more serious. The main injury on her back started off as a bruise, but through continuous training worsened into a misaligned spine and finally resulted in slipping and herniated discs. Murty also has scoliosis, as well as extensive lumbar damage, which affects the communication between her brain and legs. Training has become more difficult since she cannot do certain exercises and must attend physical therapy three times a week.

“It was hard to find things that would really help me train and improve while being injured, so I was forced to find alternatives to things that I normally do,” Murty said.

Murty has had to replace her usual exercises with activities that would not intensify her injury. For

example, instead of doing sit-ups, which requires her to curl her back, she hangs from a bar to strengthen her core. To help heal her injury, Murty wears a back brace with a metal rod attached to it to keep her spine straight. When Murty goes to bed, she sleeps with her brace on and uses memory foam pillows to help with the decompression of her spine. Despite her injury, Murty still competes in tournaments. Before competitions, Murty has to take steroid injections or anti-inflammatory drugs, which are typically injected straight into her back, to help soothe the pain.

Her peers, including her teammates and coach, support and encourage her. Murty has been training under her coach, John Barrett, since she first started MMA and Jiu-Jitsu. Her coach checks in on Murty about three to five times a day, asking about her and how she is feeling outside of practice.

“She would push herself when the team and I did not, and when we did, she would [perform] with flying colors,” Barrett said. “She would come to training, and train until she could not anymore, or until we told her to go home. It worried me to no end, but the amount of pride I have for her is [indescribable].”

Her teammates have also seen how Murty challenges herself. Many of her peers did not even know about her injury until she told them.

“I think she did a pretty amazing job at working past

alex yoo / The Pen

Recently, gun control has become the center of various debates nationwide and sophomore Emily Bengston has not hesitated to share her opinions.

She took on the role of representative for the local March for Our Lives, a student-led demonstration that took place on March 24 in over 800 cities across the United States. The march was organized in response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on Feb. 14 with many students calling for more stringent gun control.

Bengston became a representative after a friend introduced her to the representative from Palos Verdes High School. From there, she attended meetings and made conference calls regarding the marches. Bengston primarily focused on helping organize Los Angeles’s March for Our Lives.

Additionally, she shared posts on social media to raise awareness about the event and to encourage others to participate.

Following the organization of the event, Bengston continues to be very passionate about the topic of gun violence and has sought to contribute as much as possible to combating it.

“Gun violence is a huge issue in our country,” Bengston said. “Obviously there are a lot of debates on how we should approach solving it, but I think one thing we can all agree on is that it is an issue we need to address. We need to help protect our students and our teachers, and we need to stop the massacres that are occurring.”

Choreo coach, Physical Education Yoga teacher and Service Learning Leadership (SLL) adviser Heather Myrick has taught Bengston in both Service Learning Leadership and yoga. She believes Bengston was an excellent choice for the local representative.

“She is conscientious and super organized,” Myrick said. “With her diligence, she was able to get the message out there in a way that people could respond to. She was really able to deliver a passionate and organized mission.”

As a student organizer of the event, Bengston arrived early in Los Angeles on the day of the march to help with organization and preparation. The march itself began at 9 a.m., and participants walked from Pershing Square to the City Hall.

“I love doing [protests and walks],” Bengston said.

“You get there, and [there are] so many people on the same page [as you]. They are all on your side for a cause, and it is a very supportive, hopeful environment.”

Even though March for Our Lives has concluded,

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maginative student MANAGES THREE BUSINESSES

Nicole khalil

schemes and styles and were able to collaborate throughout the entire process.

“Classic Threads has always been about being unique, stylish and affordable,” Jaffer said. “[Alex and I] always make sure that customers get the best quality products.”

Since starting the company, Jaffer believes he has grown significantly as a business owner and is able to be creative in his position.

“We really wanted to design a [clothing line] that give the clothes a personal feel,” Fantappiè said.“By selling through an original website, we were able to ascend to a more professional brand.”

From designing the website to communicating with manufacturers, creating the business required months of preparation.

However, Fantappiè believes that he gained valuable experience.

“Whether I fail or succeed, what matters is I have learned so much from [my businesses],” Fantappiè said.

rachel liu / The Pen

Senior Alex Fantappiè is a rising entrepreneur at Peninsula who currently runs three businesses: Fantappiè and Co., SMARTR tutoring and Classic Threads. During his sophomore year, Fantappiè launched his first company, Fantappiè and Co., a nonprofit marketing consulting firm that aims to help advertise and design websites for emerging businesses.

“I tried to provide an [advertisement and website design] service [that did not exist before] to members of my community,” Fantappiè said. “I wanted to create a unique system of giving between myself, the small business and the charitable organization my company was donating to.”

According to Fantappiè, knowledge of the industry and persuasive techniques are imperative in this field of business.

“You must be able to provide some level of expertise for the consumer to trust you,” Fantappiè said. “Technology is not the only major factor, as you also need to study successful marketing techniques.”

His other business, SMARTR tutoring, is comprised of high school students because Fantappiè believes that student tutors have a better understanding of high school courses than adult tutors have. “[Student] tutors can help the student because they took the class recently,” Fantappiè said. “[The tutor] is less of an authoritative figure and more of a friend helping the student out.”

Senior Ken Kuboshima is one of the seven tutors who work for Fantappiè and tutors students in Calculus and Advanced Placement Chemistry.

“Fantappiè is able to [manage the business] well, [and] I think that is something I saw improvement in since I began working at SMARTR tutoring,” Kuboshima said.

Kuboshima believes Fantappiè exemplifies what it means to be innovative through his collaboration.

According to Kuboshima, Fantappiè consults the tutors before making major decisions.

Fantappiè also co-owns an online streetwear company called Classic Threads with his friend, senior Ishaan Jaffer.

“I wanted to try something that would allow me to express my creativity,” Fantappiè said. “I have always been interested in clothing and I wanted to try something new where I [could] put my own twist on it.”

The two contributed many ideas for the color

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etermined volunteers prepare food for homeless

Fiona yang

Several students from Peninsula volunteered at the Los Angeles Food Bank to box meals for the homeless on March 17. These students are part of Assistance League, a volunteer organization that runs programs nationwide to help its members develop a sense of community responsibility and leadership skills. Within this organization is Assisteens, a group of middle schoolers and high schoolers who dedicate their time to lend a hand to those facing hardships in their community. The San Pedro-South Bay division of Assisteens was given the chance to help package food to distribute to the homeless, and many Peninsula students rose to the challenge. Junior Emily Kelly is part of Assisteens and was one of the participants at the event.

“This was my first time volunteering at the LA food bank,” Kelly said. “I wanted to volunteer [there] because I [had] heard so many good things from my friends and family who recently volunteered there.”

Kelly has been a member of Assisteens since eighth grade and is now a member of the Assisteens board and helps plan and conduct meetings. She typically volunteers at Little Company of Mary

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Hospital on Saturdays, but this time she was interested in getting out of her comfort zone and trying something new.

“It was a rewarding experience because we were helping people who did not have food for themselves,” Kelly said. “Ever since I was little, I always gained happiness through the happiness of others, and that is why I wanted to make lunches for less fortunate people.”

According to sophomore Jennifer Vieweg, another volunteer at the event, making the lunches required a lot of effort. Vieweg felt that it was an intensive process because of the constantly moving assembly line and the rapid pace of the entire event.

“I had fun bonding with my family because we do not have a lot of [time] to spend together during the week,” Vieweg said. “This was an opportunity to help the community and [be with] my family [as well as] people I did not know very well.”

At the event, Assisteens members used conveyor belts to pack boxes filled with common foods such as milk, cereal and canned fruits. They worked for about three hours and packed over 2,000 boxes in total. Junior Robert Suppelsa is another member who participated in packaging meals.

“There is a serious problem with hunger in LA which [must] be addressed, and the fact that I [was

able to] help makes me glad,” Suppelsa said. “It was a great opportunity [that] taught you to trust your teammates and [made] you think of everyone affected by hunger. [It] was definitely worth all three hours if it could help feed someone.”

By dedicating their time to this event and other Assisteens events such as the Pediatric Therapy Network’s Halloween party and Operation School Bell, which provides school supplies to communities in need, members show that they are committed to improving their community.

“This event has encouraged me to volunteer at more outreach programs for people in need and create a program of my own where I could make care packages for homeless,” Kelly said. “I love being able to make an impact on someone else’s life.

Most important of all, though, I learned to be thankful and appreciative of the things that I have in this world that [many] others do not.”

rachel liu / The Pen

xpressive tedx speakers present new ideas

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Emotional Intelligence (EQ) classes, social expectations and a career in teaching were among the ideas shared at the TEDxYouth@PVPHS event on March 23. Students, teachers and community members presented their original Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) Talks in Peninsula’s Performing Arts Center. Choreo coach, Physical Education Yoga teacher and Service Learning Leadership (SLL) adviser Heather Myrick organized the event with SLL. She was inspired by the multitude of TED talks she has watched and showed to her classes.

“I think TED Talks are one of the best teaching resources, so I use them in all my classes, from dance to yoga to SLL,” Myrick said. “I think that a place like Peninsula is ripe with ideas as well, and with the TED tagline ‘ideas worth spreading,’ I had an intuition that there would be great ideas here.”

Myrick discovered that high schools are able to host TEDxYouth events, so she and SLL decided to apply to host the event at Peninsula this year. In

and his journey to becoming a teacher at Peninsula.

Coleman believes that TED Talks should be about something the speaker knows, and for him that was teaching. His past teachers empowered him to pursue teaching, as many of them had a lasting impact and gave him the confidence he needed to become a teacher. He now tries to provide this same inspiration to his own students.

“I needed somebody to see that I had potential,” Coleman said. “Teachers can serve that role. The teachers I had who really resonated with me did so because they were the right fit.”

The purpose of his talk was to advocate becoming a teacher and shed light on how rewarding the career is. According to statistics shared

by Coleman, the amount of people that pursue teaching has diminished in recent years. With this talk, he hopes to encourage others to become teachers. “[I hope] the ideas [in the TED talks] resonate with something that you already know, [and] empower you to let it come further,” Myrick said. “They all speak to some things that we might have little inklings of but they give you that push, that passion, to work toward them.” ra

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October, SLL submitted the application and received permission to hold the event, and they held the auditions for the talks in January. Myrick believes the event was successful because it had diverse speakers and talks that focused on a variety of subjects.

Speaker and senior Maximilian Park discussed the necessity of EQ classes and how the world would be changed if they were required courses in the school system. The purpose of these classes would be for students to learn about the psychology behind their emotions and to better understand how to communicate with others. Park discovered videos about EQ during a tough time in his life and learned about the physical aspects of his brain and how emotional patterns can cause changes in behavior.

“When you carry all your pain by yourself, it is like you are carrying a bag of rocks,” Park said. “Once you [share with] other people, you give each of them a rock and your bag becomes lighter.”

According to Park, EQ classes can empower others by allowing them to realize that they can control their emotions and that they are not victims of their environment. By sharing his story, he hopes that EQ classes will receive recognition and eventually become implemented in schools.

Advanced Placement English Language and English 2 teacher Tim Coleman discussed his passion for teaching

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sports

going the distance Senior Leslie Castro participates in LA Marathon

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Christopher Guanzing Athletes from all over the world gathered on March 18 to participate in one of the country’s most popular races: the 33rd annual Los Angeles Marathon. The race spans a 26.2-mile course, starting at Dodger Stadium and ending in Santa Monica. While runners race through the city of Los Angeles, they reach various checkpoints at every mile, usually at a famous landmark or tourist destination. Senior Leslie Castro was one of over 24,000 runners who participated in the marathon.

Having ran it before in eighth grade, Leslie decided to give it another shot. This time, however, her run was a little different since she had just recovered from a leg injury last year. After taking time to recover and undergo physical therapy, Leslie trained by slowly increasing her mileage each week leading up to the marathon.

“During the race, I was a little scared that my injury would prevent me from running,” Leslie said. “Leading up to the marathon I was fine, however, halfway through the race I had to stop and get my leg wrapped because I started to feel my old injury. I ended up having to walk and jog the remainder of the race, but fortunately I was

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able to cross the finish line.”

Although she had to deal with the troubles of her past leg injury, Leslie was proud to have completed the course.

“During the race, I felt really happy inside because everything that surrounds you is full of positivity,” Leslie said. “There are so many people who go there just to support the runners. When I finally did finish, I felt a sense of joy that I was able to make it and I felt grateful that I had the opportunity to participate.”

Her mother, Adelo Castro, was among the hundreds of supporters who attended the marathon. She followed her daughter throughout her preparation and the race itself.

“Her father ran with her for some practice runs, and I advised eating well and making the time [she needed to complete the race],” Adelo Castro said. “[While at the event], I downloaded the LA marathon app that allowed me track her, and at mile 24, I was

able to see and jog by her. [When she finished the race], I felt very proud of Leslie and assured that she will be able to go anywhere she sets her mind to.”

Senior Chelsea Bicera was also in attendance.

She participated in the race as well when she was in eighth grade, but this time she watched from the sidelines to support Castro, her best friend.

“It was amazing watching my best friend in the marathon because she deserves all the support she can get,” Bicera said. “Attending the race is a lot of fun because if you get there early enough, you get to see the elite runners. I stood between the 23rd and 24th mile and I definitely enjoyed being there because I got to cheer on the other runners as well.”

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